GE
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Meeting targets in waste
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Whilst meeting the demands of an ever increasing The modelling centred around calculating the
JOhn
population, local authorities must also improve whole life cycle impacts of the council’s waste JACKSOn
their environmental performance and meet management operations and considered energy Senior Waste
challenging targets to increase recycling and consumption, maintenance, construction and
Management
Consultant
reduce reliance on landfill. Atkins is helping a decommissioning aspects.
WASTE
number of public sector clients to develop and
MAnAGEMEnT
implement strategies to achieve these targets and The WRATE tool, combined with Atkins’ holistic
T: 0121 483 5823
develop sustainable waste management solutions. approach in life cycle assessment modelling, has
john.r.jackson@atkinsglobal.com
enabled the council to make informed decisions
Slough Borough Council engaged Atkins to help them and choose the most environmentally sound
compare the environmental impacts of a number of option. It was also found that their future waste
proposed waste management systems. Following a management system, which includes utilising
traditional options appraisal (cost vs. performance), a energy from waste as the final disposal method,
number of preferences were identified. These included will have less environmental impact in comparison
changes to the way waste and recyclables were to their existing system which sends the residual waste
collected (i.e. the type of container used, frequency of to landfill.
collection, types of materials collected and final disposal
methods). The council was also interested in assessing The council has now chosen a collection and
the carbon footprint associated with each proposed treatment strategy that reduces their impact on
waste management system. climate change and helps to deliver government
targets on recycling and landfill diversion. This
Above: Local authorities are
under increasing pressure to
Using the Environment Agency’s Waste and Resource involves weekly recyclables collection and energy from reduce reliance on landfill.
Assessment Tool for the Environment (WRATE), Atkins treatment of residual waste. Atkins is in discussion
Below: The graph compares
quantified and compared the environmental impact and with other local authorities to use this type of analysis the CO
2
emissions of two landfill
the carbon footprint of the existing and proposed waste and two further commissions are due to begin later
based waste management
systems to two energy from
collection, treatment and disposal systems. this year. n waste (EfW) based systems.
“ The analysis that Atkins carried 6000000
Landfill Based
out helped us to quantify our
5000000
carbon footprint in relation to waste
4000000
management. The work will be
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q
3000000
fundamental in helping us to design
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o
Kg Co2 eq
K
a new waste management system
2000000
for the future which will not only be
1000000
2a 2b
carbon efficient but help us to achieve 0
baseline 2
our challenging recycling targets.”
-1000000
EfW Based
Project manager, Slough Borough Council
Scenario
solutions | Autumn 2008
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